Thanks, MerryAtHope. This is exactly the information I needed. While I wouldn't consider either child a struggling writer, since neither of them have had much writing instruction I think they both need the more incremental approach. If my 10th grader starts at Level 9 and only goes through Level 11 will he be missing much needed info. Should I plan to skip Level 11 with him?

MerryAtHope, Since my children have had a lot of grammar, I don't think the sentence section will be a problem. With that said, do you think their is too much of a jump between level 9 and 10 to start them in level 10, or would you recommend starting both kids at Level 9?

Hilltopmom, if my kiddos have not done a lot of writing would you recommend starting them a grade level below where they are? The representative strongly suggested starting them both AT their grade level, but since I have a 9th grade girl and a 10th grade boy, and they do the majority of the same curricula I had planned to start them both at level 10. However, I'm not opposed to starting them at grade 9 or even grade 8 if that would help them be more successful in the long run.

I agree. We used IEW and it was not a good fit. Essentials in Writing (EIW) is what I am considering. I ordered both the Level 9 and Level 10 and from just looking at them, there appears to be very little difference. When I spoke to the representative on the phone she said the difference came in the instruction in the videos. Does anyone have any experience in how the levels are different?

Coloradomomof5 are you talking about Essentials in Writing? From their website it looks like the videos are less than 10 minutes each day and the average lesson is less than 40 minutes. It actually *seems* doable, but I wanted to hear others experiences. Maybe it is more intense than it appears. If anyone else has any experience with the high school levels of EIW, will you please chime in?

Janeway, did you mean that EIW was intense?

Thank you, Julie in KY and Hilltopmom. I completely agree about the feedback from the Bravewriter coaches. They drew words out of my children that I do not have the ability to do. I have considered trying the EIW grading program this fall, but we tried Write at Home last semester and was VERY disappointed with the instruction and feedback compared to the Bravewriter class my children took. They were given generic comments that did not help to improve their writing. Having two high schoolers next year causes a little pressure to make sure we don't let writing slip through the cracks any more. If anyone else has any experience, please chime in! I'm open to any and all suggestions!

I am considering Essentials in Writing (EIW) for my dd 9th grade and ds 10th grade. We have unsuccessfully played with several writing curricula in the past and are hoping this will be the ONE. I was planning to start both kiddos in Level 10, but after reading previous posts am wondering whether I should drop back a level or two. Any advice from EIW users would be greatly appreciated. I would also love to hear a comparison from anyone who has used this and Bravewriter. We have taken a Bravewriter class before and really liked it, but because the classes are so short for the amount of money they cost, I'm looking at other options. Thank you!!

I just found this thread while doing a search on Essentials in Writing. I am considering it for my dd 9th grade and ds 10th grade. We have unsuccessfully played with several writing curricula in the past and are hoping this will be the ONE. I was planning to start both kiddos in Level 10, but after reading the previous posts am wondering whether I should drop back a level or two. Any advice from EIW users would be greatly appreciated. I would also love to hear a comparison from anyone who has used this and Bravewriter. Thank you!!

We did that a few years ago. My ds was reluctant to learn to read. I went to a Carole Joy Seid seminar and basically she said all you need to homeschool is a Bible, a math curriculum and a library card and suggested reading good quality literature as the basis for everything. That year I scaled everything back and we only did Bible, Math, and Reading. We read, and read, and read. He read to me and I read aloud to him. Great year! In fact, it's probably the best year we ever had homeschooling. His reading skills and love of reading soared! Hummm.... makes me wonder why I felt the need to do anything differently.:001_smile:

I thought I rememebered seeing a list by grade level on on the All About Spelling website, but I just went there to try to send you the link and I can't find it. Maybe someone else will chime in.

I used both :001_smile:. We used MFW K primarily, but I borrowed FIAR from a friend and used our library for the books. MFW K was very light (which I liked) and took only a short time in the morning. On days we wanted something a little more structured to do in the afternoon, I just added in a book and activity from FIAR. We ended up not reading a book five days in a row, and doing every activity, but that was okay. We loved it.

Rejoicing with you :001_smile: I just purchased a similar system from Levenger during their summer sale. I love it. I customized my planning pages on the computer then printed and punched. I added our master calendar at the beginning and our attendance pages, which are required by our state. I also purchased some tab dividers and made copies of helpful notes and handouts so everything is organized in one place.

Charlotte and Kelly, thanks for your replies. Kelly, have you watched TWSS videos or are you just jumping into the themed based program? Charlotte, are you using the TWSS videos at all or simply the SWI-B? I'm trying to maximize the use of our time and determine if it is necessary for me to watch the TWSS videos.

:lurk5: Anyone?

I had planned to use IEW TWSS & SWI B with my two children (5th grade dd; 6th grade ds) in the fall. We will also be using MFW ECC. I was all set until I looked at MFW's writing recommendation, Writing Strands. Writing Strands looks like it is a gentle introduction to writing and it would take MUCH less time to accomplish. Just wondering if anyone used SWI along with MFW and how it worked for your family. Thanks!

I'll be watching, too. I have been trying to decide whether to stick with AAS or make the switch to Phonetic Zoo (I've also considered Spelling Power).

Thanks. I thought about that, but on the CD the jingle is repeated at least three or four times. Are you planning to use the CD or just dictate the words yourself? The CD was the big draw for me, since it would allow my kiddos to work independently for a few minutes.

I haven't decided to go with PZ just yet. I like the idea of the jingles, but I'm not sure if my kids would find them to be confusing after using AAS. I know IEW recommends PZ after AAS, but since we've completed through level 5 of AAS, I'm wondering if we should stay the course. However, I really need them to be more independent in some subjects.

Hi. I posted this question in another thread, but thought I may get a more specific response if I changed the title. :001_smile: My children (age 10 and 11) have completed AAS through level 5. I am considering switching to PZ, mainly so they can be more independent. My biggest concern is that the jingles in PZ seem to be wordy and somewhat confusing. Is this really the case, or do the kids understand it better when they are actually in the program? The rules in AAS seem so short and simple that I was afraid the jingles might confuse my kiddos rather than help them. Any thoughts?

Thanks, Jen. I've looked at Spelling Power, but the draw to switch to Phonetic Zoo was because it would be so independent and free up my time to concentrate of teaching writing this coming year. My main concern with PZ is the jingles being confusing after learning the AAS rules. Maybe I should start another post with PZ in the title.:)

I have the same question as the original poster, but a different concern. My children (age 10 and 11) have completed AAS through level 5 and I am considering switching to PZ, mainly so they can be more independent. My biggest concern is that the jingles in PZ seem to be wordy and somewhat confusing. Is this really the case, or do the kids understand it better when they are actually in the program? The rules in AAS seem so short and simple that I was afraid the jingles might confuse my kiddos rather than help them. Any thoughts?

The same thing happened with my daughter. We began R&S 3 when she was in 3rd grade, but she would spend 30 minutes just trying to draw the lines for diagramming (and like your daughter she's a very good writer).:) I decided she just wasn't ready so I switched to Queens Language Lessons that year. This past year when she was in 4th grade we started the year with Queens again, but it didn't seem challenging at all to her so I decided since I already had the R&S 3 on the shelf to pull it back out. We just finished it a few weeks ago and she did great. The diagraming was no longer a problem! I think R&S is a very rigorous grammar program so I didn't mind using it a year "behind". I'm actually researching what we're going to use next year.

There's a schedule of how to line up MOH and SOTW on Paula's Archives. Look here: http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/sotwmoh.htm

I showed my ds both ways and he preferred the way Mr. Demme teaches it. The thing that helped us both the most was using graph paper. Also, we leave the first line blank during our multiplication process then use it for carrying our numbers when we add. This makes it much easier to see what's going on in the entire problem. We always watch the dvd's together which is also helpful. Edited to say: Of course you can teach it the way you learned it, but when you're checking the answers in the back of the TM your work will look different than the work in the TM.